Blower control device for suction cleaners



Ap 6, 1948. J. H. NUFFER El AL BLOWER CONTROL DEVICE FOR SUCTICNCLEANERS Filed Sept. 27, 1 94s 3npentor-1 a 521%? Gltorneg Patented Apr.6, 1948 Joseph H. Nufler, Toledo, Ohio, and Lynn 11. Lotta, Deerileld.Ill., assignors to Air-Way Electric Appliance Corporation, Toledo, Ohio,

acorporation ot'nelawarc Application September 2'1, 1Q4asena1m. 503,918

This invention relates to suction cleaners of the type in which thefiltering and suction units are both enclosed within a rigid housing towhich a dust-laden air stream is led through a flexible suction hosefrom a cleaning tool.

An object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner which hasprovision for a blower 1 connection direct to the base of the cleaner,and wherein such blower connection need not pass through the cover. v

Another object is to provide a novel and improved arrangement fornormally closing the blower outlet and at the same time opening anoutlet or plurality of outlets'for normal discharge of the airdownwardly through the base of the cleaner so as to avoid undesirableeffects of a horizontally projected discharge stream. These and otherobjects of the invention will become apparent from aperusal of thefollowing specification taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a suction cleanerembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same taken as indicated bythe line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the lower portion of the cleaner.

As an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, wehave shown in the drawings a suction cleaner wherein the suction unit,indicated generally at Ill, and the dust col-- lecting and air filterinunit, indicated generally at l2, are mounted in side by siderelationship upon a low base M with the axis of both units vertical orsubstantially vertical, wherein a cover i6 is adapted to form, togetherwith the base l4, 9, housing enclosing a chamber ll in which the suctionand filtering units I and I2 are accommodated.

While the axis of the filtering unit l2 may not be exactly vertical, itis preferred to have it arranged on a generally vertical axis, in orderthat the dust laden air stream may enter the filtering and collectingreceptacle at the upper end thereof, thus leaving the entrance portionof the receptacle always clear until the receptacle is substantiallyfull of collected dust and refuse.

The cover it is roughly tear drop shaped, the wall thereof beingextended downwardly around the suction and filtering units in and I2, tothe plane of the base H. The rear end of the cover I6 is hinged as onill to an arch shaped upward extension 22 of the rear end of the base M.A latch 26 normally latches the lower forward portion of the cover l6 tothe base l4. By releasing 1 Claim (Cl. 230-47) 2 the latch 23, the coverl8 may be lifted to a position wherein its lower edge lies in asubstantially perpendicular plane, substantially completely exposing thesuction and filtering units Ill and I2;

5 for servicin 'operations; For example. withthe cover thus raised, thecarbon brushes 30 of the suction unit I0 may be readily removed andreplaced, and a filled receptacle 20 may be removed and replaced by afresh receptacle.

a perforated supporting liner encircling the receptacle 20, and atubular casing 38 encircling and spaced from the liner 36. At the upperend of the casing 38 is an annular channel 40 in which is mounted agasket-l2 0t compressible material such as for example, soft rubber, andthe receptacle 20, which is preferably of porous paper so that it may bedisposed of when filled, is provided at its upper end witha non-porousflange 44 resting upon the gasket 42.

The cover I 6 is formed with an annular clamping flange 46 adapted toclamp the flange 44 against the packing ring 42, and with a deliverynozzle 43 receivable in a central opening 50 in a non-porous top member52 which is secured to the receptaclelll, The top member 52 may beconnected integrally with the flange 44 by an offset portion 54 by meansof which the top member is stitched to the receptacle 20. The nozzle 48carries a sealin rin 56 of compressible material, such as softrubber,which is adapted to seal the nozzle to the top 52. The parts are soarranged that the sealing of the nozzle 48 to the top 52 and theclamping of the flange 44 against the packing ring 42 is effected bymoving the cover IE to closed position and latching it in that position.Formed in the cover It is an inlet 58 which is connected to the nozzle48 by a short duct 60. To the inlet 58 may be attached one end of aconventional flexible suction hose to the other end of which isconnected the usual cleaning tool. It is contemplated-that. the body ofthe cleaner, shown herein, may be pulled about by the hose thus attachedto the inlet 58.

The casing 38 of the filtering unit I2 is mounted at its lower end upona pair of arcuate seats 69 and ill formed integrally with and projectingupwardly from the base M. Spaces 68 between the seats 69 and [0 permitair to flow from the lower end of the filtering-unit to the upper end ofthe suction unit as indicated by the arrows. An inturned flange H, onthe lower end of the casing 38, provides the means for attaching thecasing 38 to the seats 69 and 10 in connection with suitable attachingelements such as the screws 13 The filtering unit l2 includes thereceptacle 20,

extended upwardly through the base II and the seats 88 and 18 andthreaded into the flange 1|.

The suction unit l8 includes a conventional motor casing 18 having airinlet openings 18 at its upper end and mounted at its lower end upon atan casing 84 which has air outlets 88 in its bottom wall; The fancasing 84, which is preferably formed or a pair of stampings Joinedtogether i by flange means 88, extends into a well 81 defined within anannular flange 18 extending upwardly from the base M. The fan casing 84is mounted upon the flange 18 throughthe medium or an annular plate 11secured by screws 82 to the flange 18, and a vibration absorbing ring 88of soft rubber or the like bonded to the ring 11 and to a ring 18 whichis secured to the flange 88 of the fan casing.

The rear portion 0! the flange l9 merges with the extension 22. and thewell 8| communicates with a blower outlet 81 formed in the extension 22.A valve disc 88, secured to a trunnion 88 pivoted in the base l4centrally oi the well 8|, has an annular series of apertures 88 adaptedto normally register with discharge openings 8| in the base l4. The disc88 is also providedwith an upwardly extending valve element 82 which isadapted, when the openings 88 and 8| are in register, to

close the blower outlet 81. A lever 88, secured,

to the trunnion 88, is provided with a latch element 85 adapted to enterone opening in the base I! to determine the above described position ofthe well 8| from the chamber l1 so that the latter may function totransmit suction from the upper end of the suction unit |8 to the lowerend or the fllter unit l2. The gasket 81. sealing the cover l8 to thebase l4, makes it possible-for the pressure in the chamber 11 to belowered so as to thus transmit suction irom the suction unit to thefllter unit. In applicants copending Patent 2,388,279, the

following subject matter disclosed but not claimed. herein is claimed: asuction cleaner having a-- base on which are mounted suction andfilterin units and a cover enclosing such units, the cover beingprovided with means forming a portion or the air inlet ductcommunicating with the flltering unit.

We claim as our invention:

In a suction cleaner, a base, a suction uniton said base having an airinlet and an air outlet, an arch shaped upward extension on said base atone end thereof, said extension providing a blower outlet open at theouter end and communicating with the suction unit. outlet at its innerend, a cover on said base enclosing said the valve disc and to bewithdrawn from that opening, utilized as a means to swing the lever 88for rotating the valve disc 48, and to enter a second opening (indicatedail-86 in dotted lines in Fig. 2), for determining a position of the.valve disc 88 wherein the normal discharge openings 8| are covered bylmperi'orate portions of the valve 'disc 88 and the valve element 82 ismoved away from the blower outlet 81. In this second position of thevalve disc, the normal discharge openings 8| being closed and the bloweroutlet 81 being opened, the discharge from the suction unit l8 will beconcentrated in the blower outlet 81, so that the discharge may beutilized for operating blowing tools at one and Ma hose the other end ofwhich is adapted to be attached to the blower outlet 81.

' The cover I8 is sealed to the base Hby means of a gasket 81 mounted ina channel 88 which extends around the periphery of the base l4 and overthe extension 22, and a flange '89 projecting.

inwardly from the wall of the cover l6 and adapted to engage the gasket91.

The base I4 is mounted upon three-casters I88, arranged with a iorwardcaster on the central longitudinal axis of the base and two rearwardcasters spaced laterally on either side or said longitudinal axis. 7 I

The resilient motor mountings 88, 83, 15 seal suction unit, said basebeing apertured in the region of said upward extension and at a point vcommunicating with the suction unit outlet to enable normal discharge ofair from the suction unit, a pivotally mounted valve disc on said basehaving apertures adapted to register with the apertures in the base, anupwardly extending valve flange on the periphery of the disc adaptedwhen the disc and base apertures are in registry to close the bloweroutlet, and means for turning the valve disc, said last means beingaccessible from the underside of the base;

. JOSEPH H. NUFFER.

LYNN H. LA'I'I'A.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of file of this patent:

UNITED s'ra'rns PATENTS 278,603 Great Britain 1927 record in the v

